MAF Pilot, Jason Krul, at the controls of the Cessna 206MAF Pilot, Jason Krul, at the controls of the Cessna 206
as he medevacs the patient to Port-au-Prince.

...

MAF pilot Jason Krul answered the call that Saturday afternoon.
After hearing about the severity of the man's injuries and how far away he was from the airstrip, Jason thought it best to secure a helicopter evacuation--but to no avail.
After an hour on the phone calling different operators, he could not find an available helicopter large enough to fit a patient lying on a spine board.

There was only one thing to do...

Jason called a paramedic friend to join him and sent someone to the hospital to pick up extra supplies.
Soon they were on their way in MAF's Cessna 206, HH-FLY, to the Fond Des Blancs airstrip.
The accident site was over five miles away from the airstrip, which required traveling in a 4x4 over rough terrain for 40 minutes followed by a hike to the accident site.
It took an hour to stabilize the patient, who was in excruciating pain, and another hour to carefully take him back to the airstrip.

After loading the patient into the plane, Jason brought him to Port-au-Prince for medical treatment and then, around midnight, the man was evacuated by an ambulance jet to the U.S. for further care.
But before that could happen, Jason had to jump through a few more hoops.
For more of the story, read Jason's account of the day.

An airport worker who watched all of this unfold told another MAF pilot that he couldn't imagine any other people he'd rather have helping him if he were in that situation.

Jason Krul, MAF pilot/mechanic in Haiti, has performed a number of life-saving flights.

"Last February we received a call about a Canadian engineer who had fallen backwards off a bridge that was under construction and badly injured his spine," said Krul.

Krul responded, taking along a paramedic in the Cessna 206 as well as a spine board, oxygen tanks, rescue ropes, and medical bags.
After landing they travelled five miles (40 minutes) in a 4x4 over a rough trail, then hiked down a narrow path to the riverbed where they found the injured man.

"Yelling in Creole 'Clear a path!' we made our way through the crowd until we reached the spot where the man was lying awkwardly on his side, moaning in pain," recalls Krul.
"Howard (the paramedic) quickly got to work assessing his injuries as I checked his vitals.
It was immediately apparent that he did indeed have injuries in his lower neck as well as possible fractures in his right shoulder and collarbone.
He also had several large abrasions on his head, but the bleeding had mostly stopped.
Anywhere we touched him caused him to scream in pain."

Krul says that it took an hour to stabilize the patient and another hour to travel back to the airplane, followed by the 35 minute return flight to Port-au-Prince.